What You Should Know Before Replacing A Furnace?

Is it now time for getting a new furnace installed? Probably so, if an old one is requiring costly repairs or undergoing frequent breakdowns. The good news, however, is that a new furnace will really be far more effective, decreasing your heating bills whereas keeping you much more comfortable on the coldest winter night. Here is what you should know about replacing the furnace.Know Whether You Should Replace Or Fix
A good thumb rule is that it is time to now replace your furnace in case it is beyond three-quarter of its own life expectancy and repairs would cost much more than 1/3rd of replacement costs. How will you know whether it’s beyond 3-quarters of its own life expectancy? Check label (or ask the contractor) for its specific manufacturer date; the furnaces last for an average of about 15 – 20 years —perhaps another 5-6 years if it is a higher-quality brand and is maintained regularly.Understand The Efficiency Mathematics
Today’s standard furnaces are about 80 percent efficient (means20 percent of fuel energy simply goes up in the chimney). However, you can get the furnaces all up to about 98.5 percent efficient, which is actually listed on the products information as AFUE rating. That type of super efficiency may tag on nearly $1,000 – $2,000 to the cost, so get a rate quote and do all the maths: For instance, if you are paying $2,000 as annual heating cost, a 15 percent bump in AFUE would save you around $300 every year. If the additional cost is about $1,500, which is a five-year payback, well worth your upfront cost provided that you’re remaining put for next, say, 8-10 years to net the profit on expenses.Check Your Ducts
There is more to heating systems than the furnaces, certainly, and your home’s ducts—tubes that deliver heated air from one room to another—can be a great source of inefficiency. One-third of the heated air can be escaping in the unheated attics, basement, or crawlspace. A duct specialist or the heating contractor such as Heating Seattle can enhance the older ducts by removing insulation, re-insulating, and taping up gaps. Or you can employ a contractor to seal the ducts by spraying higher-tech substances inside the ducts which congeal around openings in order to make a rubber seal on every single crack and gap. This method can also seal small openings which are inaccessible to any repair technicians. The process costs around $500 – $1,500 and can slash your heating bills by 20 percent—possibly a much better return on your investment than the higher-efficiency furnaces.Lower Your Heating Requirements
Another probably better move than the super-efficient furnaces is adding insulation into your house. Begin by getting an energy audit performed (many states have a list of authorized companies which do this work, at times for a subsidized price or for free). The investigator may suggest a few simple steps—such as adding attics-floor insulation or just spraying foam along the top of your foundation walls (possibly $500 for each) or might suggest blowing insulation in the wall ($2,000 – $5,000 ). The crew will remove a siding row for every story of your home, drill holes in sheathing each 16-inch gap or so, and even blow cellulose fibers (ground-up newspaper) in it. Then they glue drilled-out plug back in place as well as reinstall the siding. (Then you will need a little touch-up painting too.) You could slash the heating needs 5 percent (if adding to current insulation) to up to 25% (in case there’s no or little current insulation) of heating bills, meaning lesser monthly bills—and probably a small new furnace.